Rotary motion translating device



Feb. 27, 1940. a POOLE 2,191,538

I ROTARY MOTION TRANSLATING DEVICE Filed June 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I a w Feb. 27, 1940. POOLE I 2,191,538

' ROTARY MOTION TRANSLATING DEVICE 1 Filed June 27, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fiffoxweyp Patented Feb. 27, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,191,538 'aorAnY MO'VIION rasnsurrmo mzvrcn Application June 27, 1938, Serial No.- 216,177 6 Claims. (01. 74-112) This invention relates to an improved rotary motion translating device of the character wherein a substantially continuous rotary motion may be translated into an intermittent or stepby-step rotary motion. The devices of the present invention are primarily designed for effecting the periodic actuation of an electric-switch device, though also available for other uses.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a superior rotary motion translating device by means of which a relatively-slow substantially-continuous rotary motion of a drivingmember may be translated or converted into a relatively-rapid step-by-step motion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide asup-erior device of the character referred to which is reliable in operation and not subject to derangement under operating conditions.

A further object is to provide a superior rotary motion translating device characterized by fewness of parts and low cost for manufacture.

A still further object is to provide a superior rotary motion translating device wherein springmeans is interposed between a substantially-continuously-moving driving-member and a normally-intermittently-moving driven member, and wherein provision is made for effecting the substantially-continuous movement of the said 0 driven-member. in the event of the breakage or other failure of the said spring-means.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure, this invention includes all 35 features in the said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

40 Fig. 1 is a. view in front elevation of a rotary motion translating device constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing a portion of the front-plate broken away for clarity of illustration;

45 Fig. 2 is a view mainly in vertical central section on the line 22 of Fig.1 and partly in edge elevation; p I

Fig. 3 is a broken sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and illustrating the positions 50 which the parts assume immediately after the completion of one of the step-by-step turning movements of the stop-arm and its associated parts;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing 55 the position which the parts occupy an instant before the unlatching action takes place to release thestop-arm and associated parts for one of its step-movements;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the unit comprising the stop-arm, latch-sector, latching-stud 5 and intermittent-drive shaft;

Fig. 6 is a view mainly in front elevation of another form of rotary motion translating device embodying the present invention, and showing a portion of the front-plate broken away for 10 the purpose of clarity of illustration;

Fig. 7 is a bottom-edge view thereof;

Fig. 8 is a broken-detail sectional view taken on the line 88 of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the unit com- 1 prising the stop-arm and the intermittent-drive shaft of the device of Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

The particular rotary motion translating device chosenfor illustration of the present invention in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, includes a frontplate It and a complemental back-plate ll held in spaced relationship parallel with each other by four (more or less) pillars l2. Secured against the rear face of the back-plate II is a syncho nous electric motor-structure designated by the 35 reference character l3 and requiring no detailed description herein other than to point out that as shown, it is provided with a power-output shaft l4 and leads l5 and I 6 which are adapted to be connected to any suitable source of alternating current in the usual manner of synchronous electric motors. The said synchronous electric motor-structure l3 imparts an accurately-timed rotational movement to the power-output shaft l4 and, therefore, serves in effect as timingmeans which obviously may be replaced if desired by an ordinary springmperated time-movement or any other suitable time-mechanism.

Rigidly mounted upon the forward portion of the power-output shaft M of the motor-structure I3 is a driving-pinion I'I which meshes into and drives a. gear-wheel 18. The gear-whee1 l8, just referred to, is staked or otherwise rigidly attached to the hub IQ of a sector-actuating pinion 20, as is especially well shown in Fig. 2.. The said sector-actuating pinion 20, together with its hub l9 and the gear-wheel. l8 carried thereby, ls mounted with freedom for relative rotation upon an intermittent-drive shaft 2|, which latter bears at its front end in the front-plate Ill and bears at its rear end in the back-plate II with capacity for rotation.

Rigidly mounted upon the intermittent-drive shaft 2| immediately forwardly of the back-plate H is the hub 22 of a stop-arm 23 which latter is rigidly staked or otherwise secured to the said hub 22, so that the said parts 22 and 23 constitute a rigid unit with the intermittent-drive shaft 2|.

For the purpose of resiliently or elastically coupling the intermittent-drive shaft 2| with the gear-wheel l8 and hence with the driving-pinion l1, a chain of parts will be presently described which enables the said gear-wheel l8 to rotate constantly and effect the intermittent turning movement of the said shaft 2|.

For the purpose just above referred to, the hub IQ of the pinion has rigidly attached to it a collar 24 which in effect thus becomes a unit with the gear-wheel IS. The said collar 24 is provided with a radially-extending pin 25 with which is coupled the inner convolution of a spiral transmitting-spring 26 which has its opposite end or outer convolution secured to a stud 21 riveted to the end-wall of a cup-shaped springbarrel 28. The spring-barrel 28, just referred to. is staked or otherwise rigidly secured to the rear end of an intermittent-drive pinion 29 rigidly mounted upon the intermittent-drive shaft 2| so as to drive the same. The pinion 29 meshes into and drives an intermittent-drive wheel 30 rigidly mounted upon an intermittently-driven control-shaft 3| journaled at its rear end in the back-plate II and intermediate its respective opposite ends journaled in the front-plate l0 through which it forwardly projects. 7 Rigidly attached to the projecting forward end of the control-shaft 3|, just above referred to, is a control-wheel or member 32 preferably formed of insulating material throughout, so as to guard against the access of electrical current to the control-shaft 3| and the parts in electrical connection therewith.

The control-wheel or member 32, just above re- 46 ferred to, is adapted to have imparted to it stepby-step rotational movement in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, and as the parts shown are proportioned, each step-by-step movement of the said control-wheel 32 will be substantially 45 or one-eighth revolution for each step.

The said control-wheel 32 is provided upon its periphery with three (more or less) cam-lugs respectively numbered 33, 34 and 35, spaced from each other by an equal number of clearancenotches respectively numbered 36, 31 and 38. Each of the cam-lugs 33, 34 and 35 is adapted to sequentially coact with an inclined cam-finger 39 formed at the outer end of a resilient contact-arm 40. The said contact-arm 40 is secured by means of suitable screws 4l-4l to an insulating-block 42 which in turn is secured to the forward face of the front-plate ID in any suitable manner, such, for instance, as by means of screws '43-43. About midway of its length, the resilient contactarm 40 carries a movable contact 44 which is adapted to periodically engage with a similarlyshaped stationary contact 45 carried at the inner end of a relatively-rigid contact-bracket 46 secured to the insulating-block 42 by means of screws 41-41. Respectively clamped against the outer end of the contact-arm 40 and the outer end of the contact-bracket 46, by their respective outer screws 4| and 41, are lead-wires 48 and 49 which extend to a device whichit is desired to electrically control. The device to be controlled may, of course, assume a Wide variety of forms and is not per se involved in the present invention, but by way of illustration, it may be considered to be an automatic washing machine or the like.

Returning now to the stop-arm 23, it will be noted that the outer end thereof is provided with a bushing 50 in which is mounted for rotation a latching-stud 5| having a semi-cylindrical latching-head 52 which projects rear-wardly beyond the rear face of the said stop-arm into position to releasably engage a latching-abutment 53} constituting the head-portion of an abutmentstud 54 riveted in the back-plate H and having the said latching-abutment 53 extending for-' wardly from the said back-plate I.

Te reduced forward end of the latching-stud 5| projects beyond the bushing 50 and has staked or otherwise secured to it a latch-sector 55 having peripheral gear-teeth 55 arranged concentrically with the latching-stud 5| and meshing with the sector-actuating pinion 20 before referred to.

. For the purpose of making clear the operation of the device illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, let it be assumed that the parts are in the positions in which they are illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and that a supply of alternating current is connected to the leads l5 and I6 of the synchronous electric motor-structure. Under the conditions just referred to, the driving-pinion I! will effect the continuous rotation of the gearwheel I8 and the parts rigidly connected thereto, so that the spiral transmitting-spring 26 will be placed under tension, with the effect of urging the stop-arm 23 to turn in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4. The said stop-arm 23, however, will be prevented from turning in the manner just referred to by the engagement of the semi-cylindrical latching-head 52 of the latching-stud 5| with the latching-abutment 53 of the abutment-stud 54.

As the gear-wheel l8 continues to turn and thus effects the further tensioning of the trans mitting-spring 26 and the clockwise rotation of the sector-actuating pinion 20, the latch-sector 55 will be turned in a counterclockwise direction with reference to the stop-arm 23 by which it is carried, and thus effect the similar counterclockwise turning of the semi-cylindrical latching-head 52. Ultimately, the transmittingspring 26 will have been tensioned substantially to its maximum tension and the corner 51 of the said latching-head will come into registration with the lower inner corner of the latchingabutment 53, as is shown in Fig. 4.

The slight further counterclockwise turning movement of the latch-sector 55 and hence of the latching-head 52 will clear the corner 51 of the said latching-head from the latchingabutment 53, whereupon the transmitting-spring 26 will act to rapidly swing or map the stop-arm 23 and the parts carried thereby one full turn in a clockwise direction.

During the rapid swinging movement of the stop-arm 23 .and associated parts, as just above referred to, the latch-sector 55 (while also bodily moving) will be turned in a clockwise direction by the engagement of its teeth 56 with the sector-actuating pinion 23, so that by the time that the said stop-arm has completed one turn, the latching-head 52 will have also been turned in a clockwise direction, so that it assumes the position illustrated in Fig. 3, to thereby engage the latching-abutment 53 and thus check the turning movement of the stop-arm 23-and the parts carried thereby. The parts will now have reassumed the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 3.

arouse When the stop-arm 23 sraps around in a clockwise direction as described above, under the tension of the transmitting-spring 28, the intermittent-drive shaft 2| coupled to the said stop-arm will also have imparted to it one complete revolution, with the result that the intermittent-drive pinion 29, also rigidly attached to the saidshaft 21, will effect a one-eighth turn of the intermittent-drive wheel 38 and hence similarly turn the control-shaft 3| and the control-wheel or member 32. The one-eighth turn thus imparted to the control-wheel 32 will serve to cause the camlug 35 to ride out of engagement with the camiinger 39 of the contact-arm 49, and will bring the clearance-notch 38 into registration with the said cam-finger 39. This movement of the control-wheel 32 will thus permit the resilient contact-arm 40 to swing upwardly and bring its contact 44 into engagement with the stationary contact 45 and thus complete an electrical circuit between the two lead-wires 48 and 49 and so effect the actuation of such electrical device as may be connected to the said lead-wires 48 and 49.

The cycle of operation above referred to will be periodically repeated with the result that the control-wheel or member 32 will have successive step-by-step turning movements imparted to it, to thus, at desired intervals, effect the opening and closing of the contacts 44 and.,45. The number of cam-lugs or their equivalents upon the control-wheel 32 will be in accord with the action which it is desired to have the said control-wheel effect. In the particular instance shown, the cam-lug 35 of the control-wheel 32 is of such extent as to require two successive step-by-step movements of the said controlwheel in order to cause it to ride clear of the contact-finger 39. Similarly, the-clearance-notch 36 in the instance shown is of such extent as to permit the cam-finger 39 to remain therein during two successive step-by-step movements of the control-wheel 32.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the constant rotation of the driving-pinion I! will be converted into a series of very'rapid stepby-step movements of the control-wheel or its equivalent. Thus, the opening and closing of the contacts 44 and 45, or their equivalents, is effected so rapidly as to minimize sparking and other objectionable action.

One of the important features of the present invention is the construction and arrangement of parts whereby in the event of the breakage or other failure of the transmitting-spring 26,

the successive openings and closings of the contacts 44 and 45 or their equivalents, will con tinue to take place, though not with the desired rapidity before referred to. For the purpose just referred to, the gear-teeth 56 of the latchsector terminate short of one edge of the said latch-sector, so as to leave thereon a drivingabutment 58. The said driving-abutment 58 is adapted, upon failure of the transmitting-spring 26, to jam against the teeth of the sector-actuating pinion 28, so as to effect a positive drive connection between the said pinion and the stoparm 23, and hence with the control-wheel 32.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 4 in particular that the driving-abutment 58 of the latch-sector 55 is so located that it doesnot engage with the teeth of the pinion 20 until after the corner 51 of the latching-head 52 has been swung clear of the latching-head 52, and only then in the event that the transmitting-spring 26 fails to function. As before explained, the instant that the corner 51 clears the latching-head 82, the transmitting-spring 28 will, under ordinary conditions, rapidly snapthe stop-arm 23 around one revolution, so that the said drivingabutment 58 does not, under ordinary conditions, function at'all. In the event, however, that the transmitting-spring 28 or its equivalent is broken or otherwise renderedinoperative, the drivingabutment 58 will be brought into jamming engagement with the teeth of the pinion 20 and thereafter the said pinion 28 will operate to slowly but positively turn the said stop-arm 23 through the intermediary of the latch-sector '55, with the result that the control-wheel 32 will be continuously driven, rather than be driven in step-by-step movement as is the case under ordinary operating conditions.

Coming now to the structure shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, it may be first explained that the said structure functions to produce the rapid step-by-step rotation of a suitable controlwheel in the same general manner as has been pointed out in connection with the device of Figs. .1 to 5 inclusive.

The rotary-motion translating-device of Figs. 6, '7, 8 and 9, includes a front-plate 59 and a back-plate 60 which areheld in spaced relationship with respect to each other by a suitable Fastened to the rear face number of pillars 6|. of the back-plate 68 is a motor-structure 62 preferably of the synchronous type and. having the usual two complemental leads 63 and 64 for connection to a source of alternating current of commercial frequency.

The said motor-structure 62, above referred to, is provided with a power-output shaft 65 carrying a driving-pinion 66 which meshes into and drives a gear-wheel 61. The gear-wheel 61,

just referred to, is rigidly secured to a hub 68* mounted with freedom for relative rotation upon an intermittent-drive shaft 69. The hub 68, just referred to, rigidly mounts a collar 68 provided' with a pin ID to which is attached the inner convolution of a spiral transmitting-spring H which has its outer convolution coupled by means of a stud 12 to a cup-shaped springbarrel 13.

The spring-barrel I3 is rigidly mounted upon an intermittent-drive pinion 14 which in turn is staked or otherwise secured to the intermittent-drive shaft 69 and which meshes into and drives an intermittent-drivegear-wheel 15. The

gear-wheel 15, just referred to, is rigidly mounted upon a control-shaft 16 bearing in the frontplate 59 and the back-plate 69 and projecting forwardly beyond the said front-plate 59 where it is provided with a control-wheel or member 11 formed of insulating material. The controlwheel I! is provided upon its periphery with three (more or less) cam-lugs i8, 19 and 89 and a similar number of clearance-notches 8|, 82v

and83.

The cam-lugs l8, l9 and. 80 and the clearancenotches BI, 82 and 83 of the control-wheel T! alternately raise and free a sloping cam-finger 84 formed at the free end of a flexible contactarm 85 which is secured at its opposite end, by means of screws 86-86, to an insulating-block 81. The said insulating-block 81 is secured to the forward face of the front-plate 59 by any suitable means, such, for instance, as rivets 88-88.

About midway of its length, the flexible contact-arm 85 is provided with a movable contact 89 which is adapted to engage and disengage a stationary contact 98 mounted upon the inner end of a contact-bracket 9| which is secured at its outer end to the insulating-block 81 by any suitable means such as screws 92-92. Connected to the contact-arm 85 and the contactbracket 9!, by means of one of their respective screws 86 and 92, are lead-wires 93 and 94 respectively. leading to the device to be controlled.

Also rigidly attached to the intermittent-drive shaft 69 near the end thereof opposite the pinion 14, is a stop-arm 95 formed at its extreme outer end with a latching-nose 96 and having a forwardly-projecting stop-pin 91. The stoppin 91, just referred to, is adapted to engage with a latch-actuating finger 98 formed integral with and projecting rearwardly from the gear-wheel 61. The outer edge of said finger 98 is adapted to engage with the sloping face of a cam-block 99 projecting from the upper face of a latchingarm I09 for the purpose of disengaging a latching-finger IUI on the said arm, from the latchingnose 96 of the stop-arm 95, in a manner as will hereinafter appear. As shown, the latching-arm I90 is secured to the forward face of the backplate 68 by rivets l92-l82.

The device of Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive functions in substantially the same manner as the device of the preceding figures inasmuch as provision is made for converting the substantially-constant and relatively-slow rotary movement supplied by the motor-structure 62 into a relatively-rapid step-by-step movement of the control-wheel 11 or its equivalent. Furthermore, as will hereinafter appear, in the event of the failure of the transmitting-spring 1|, the said control-wheel will not cease to function, but will be positively propelled continuously rather than in a step-bystep movement.

To make clear the operation of the device of Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive, let it be assumed that the parts are in the positions in which they are best illustrated in Fig. 6, in which it will be noted that the latch-actuating finger 98 is in the act of forcing the flexible latching-arm I80 downwardly, so as to disengage its latching-finger |8l from the latching-nose 96 of the stop-arm 95. The instant that the latching-finger l9l is disengaged from the latching-nose 96, as just referred to, by the continuous rotation of the gear-wheel 61, the said stop-arm 95 will snap around substantially one complete revolution in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6, until its stop-pin 91 engages with the right-hand face of the latch-actuating finger 98.

The snap-rotation of the stop-arm 95, as just above described, will similarly rotate the intermittent-drive shaft 69 and also the intermittentdrive pinion 14 secured thereto. The pinion 14 will in turn effect the partial rotation of the intermittent-drive wheel 15 and hence the control-shaft 16 and the control-wheel 11, substanlatch-actuating finger 98 will pass over the cam- 2,191,uss

block 99, whereupon the latter will snap upwardly into a position adjacent the right-hand face of the said latching-arm I89. In this manner, the latching-finger IlH of the said latchingarm I88 will again be interposed in the path of movement of the latching-nose 96 of the said stop-arm 95, which latter is being at this time retarded by the engagement of its stop-pin 91 with the finger 98 of the constantly-rotating gear-wheel 61. Veryshortly after the action just mentioned has taken place, the latching-nose 96 of the stoparm 95 will reengage with the latching-finger IN on the latching-arm I98 as the said arm 95 is permitted to slowly turn a short distance in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 6, by the slow continuous movement of the gear-wheel 61 against the finger 98 of which latter the stoppin 91 is held by the tension of the transmittingspring 1| As soon as the turning movement of the stoparm 95 is halted by the reengagement of the latching-nose 96 with the latching-finger Ifll of the latching-arm Hill, the latch-actuating finger 98 of the gear-wheel 61 will slowly ride away from the stop-pin 91 and ultimately will return to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6 in readiness for again depressing the latching-arm I09 through the intermediary of the cam-block 99 to thereby permit the next step-by-step movement of the said stop-arm 95 and hence of the control-wheel 11.

In the event that for any reason the transmitting-spring 1| should break or otherwise fail to function, the left-hand face of the latch-actuating finger 98 of the gear-wheel 61 will engage with the stop-pin 91 and slowly but positively turn the stop-arm 95 and effect a similar movement of the control-wheel 11.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that in both of the forms of the present invention herein shown for illustration, not only is provision made for translating a relatively-slow substantiallycontinuous movement into a relatively-rapid stepby-step movement, but provision is also made whereby in the event of the failure of the transmitting-springs or their equivalents, the device will not fail to function, but will automatically resort to effecting the slow but positive movement of the respective control-wheels.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

I claim:

1. A rotary-motion translating device, including in combination: a substantially-constantlyrotating driving-member; an intermittentlyrotating driven-member; resilient couplingmeans operatively interconnecting the said driving-member with the said driven-member for effecting the movement of the latter by the former; a stop-abutment; a rotary latch-member releasably engageable with the said stopabutment; latch-releasing means operatively connected with both the said driving-member and the said rotary latch-member for turning the latter out of engagement with the said stopabutment to release the said driven-member for rapid movement by the said resilient couplingmeans; and automatic positive-coupling means acting to cause the said driving-member to positively-drivethe said driven-member when the said resilient coupling-means fails to function.

2. A rotary-motion translating-device, including in combination: a substantially-constantlyrotating driving-member; an intermittentlyrotating driven-member; a spiral energy-storing coupling-spring operatively interconnecting the said driving-member with the said driven-member for moving the latter; a stop-abutment; a rotary latch-member releasably engageable with the said stop-abutment; latch-releasing means operatively connected with both the said drivingmember and the said rotary latch-member forturning the latter out 01' engagement with the said stop-abutment to release the said drivenmember for rapid movement by the said spiral energy-storing coupling-spring; and automatic positive-coupling means acting to cause the said driving-member to positively drive the said driven-member when the said spiral energystoring coupling-spring fails to function.

3. A rotary-motion translating-device, includ-' ing in combination: a substantially-constantlyrotating driving-train including a toothed member; an-intermittently-rotating driven-member; resilient coupling-means operatively' interconnecting the said driving-train with the said driven-member for effecting the movement of the latter by the former; a stop-abutment; a toothed sector pivotally carried by the said intermittently-rotating driven-member and enneed with the teeth of the toothed member of the said driving-train; a latch-member carried by the said driven-member and operatively connected to the said toothed sector for being moved thereby out 01 engagement with the said stopabutment to release the said driven-member for rapid movement by the said resilient coupling-means; and automatic positive-coupling means acting to cause the said toothed member of the said driving-train to positively drive the said driven-member when the said resilient coupling-means fails to function.

4. A 'rotary-motion translating-device. including in combination: a substantially-constantlyrotating driving-train including a toothed sectoractuating member; an intermittently-rotating driven-member; a spiral energy-storing coupling-spring operatively interconnecting thesaid driving-train with the said driven-member for effecting the movement of the latter by the said driving-train; a stop-abutment; a toothed sector pivotally carried by the said intermittentlyrotating driven-member and engaged with the teeth of the toothed member of the said drivingtrain; a rotary latch-member carried by the said driven-member and operatively connected to the said toothed sector for being turned thereby out of engagement with the said stop-abutment to release the said driven-member for rapid movement by the said spiralcoupling-spring; and automaticpositive-coupling means acting to cause the said'toothed sector-actuating member of the said driving-train to positively drive the said driven-member when the said spiral coupling-spring fails to function.

5. A rotary-motion translating-device, includ-, ing in combination: a substantially-constantlyrotating driving-train including a toothed member; an intermittently-rotating driven-member; resilient coupling-means operatively interconnecting the said driving-train with the said driven-member for eifecting the movement of the latter by the said driving-train; a stopabutment; a toothed sector pivotally carried by the said intermittently-rotating driven-member and engaged with the teeth of the toothed member of the said driving-train; a latch-member carried by the said driven-member and operatively connected to the said toothed sector for being moved thereby out of-engagement with the said stop-abutment to release the said drivenmember for rapid movement by the said resilient coupling-means; and a driving-abutment carried by the said toothed sector and engageable with the said rotary toothed member of the said driving-train to cause the said driving-train to positively drive the said driven-member when the said resilient coupling-means fails to function.

6. A rotary-motion translating-device, including in combination: a substantially-constantlyrotating driving-train including a toothed member; an intermittently-rotating driven-member; a spiral energy-storing coupling-spring operatively interconnecting the said driving-train with the said driven-member for effecting the movement of the latter by the said driving-train; a stop-abutment; a toothed sector pivotally carried by the said intermittently-rotating drivenmember and engaged with the teeth of the 

